The top Democrat and a GOP congressman are working together on a bill that will lay the foundation for the federal legalization of marijuana.
Rep. Dave Joyce has again presented the PREPARE Act, which is a bipartisan bill to remove federal prohibition from states where cannabis use is legal.
Hakeem Jeffersonries, the House Minority Leader (DNY) is also a sponsor of the legislation. He has worked closely with Joyce in previous sessions on versions of earlier bills.
This incremental reform will direct the Attorney General to form a panel that is charged with recommending a cannabis regulatory system that mirrors what currently exists for alcohol.
In a Thursday press release, Joyce stated that “nearly all 50 states currently have some form of cannabis legalization or legislation, which brings us closer to an inevitable end to federal prohibition.” The PREPARE Act is a bipartisan solution that recognizes this fact.
The bill would allow Congress to create a federal regulatory structure that respects each state’s unique laws, needs and rights. It will also put an end to the prohibition of drugs and ensure a safe future for all communities.
This legislation is largely similar to the version that was introduced in last session with a few largely technical differences.
A major change from the previous version was that representatives of Housing and Urban Development, Labor and Treasury would be included in the cannabis commission. They will also include the Office of National Drug Control Policy and the Office of Minority Health and Indian Health Service.
The language was added to make it clear that at least two members of the commission who have overseen “two separate and successful State-level regulation systems” are required to serve on cannabis control commissions. The definition of such commissions is now “any State Commission, Bureau, Board, Department, Office, Agency, Division, or Authority responsible for regulating the State’s Legal Medical and Recreational Cannabis Program.”
The prospects of marijuana legislation advancing in the Republican-controlled Congress this session remain unclear, but certain members have expressed confidence that modest reform could be achievable on a bipartisan basis. PREPARE Act might be an agreement that could help achieve this goal.
Jeffries noted that the “prohibition of marijuana” has ruined many lives and families as well as communities. This is especially true for communities of colour. PREPARE Act: “This bipartisan act will set the foundation for a solution to these problems that promotes public safety, and boosts the economy.”
He said: “I’m grateful to Congressman Joyce, for his leadership in helping the United States prepare for the end of cannabis prohibition.”
The PREPARE Act will accomplish the following:
- The bill requires the attorney general establish “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis”, within 30 days of the enactment of the law.
- It would be the responsibility of this commission to study federal and State regulatory models for marijuana and recommend how these could influence cannabis regulations.
- In its report, the Commission will examine, for example, how marijuana is criminalized, and what impact it has on minorities, veterans, or low-income communities.
- Panel would examine “lacks of consistency in regulations regarding cannabis products safety, labeling and use requirements,” as well as those concerning youth safety. It will also look at “lacks of guidance on cannabis crop production and sale for intrastate, international, and interstate trade.”
- The report would need to include recommendations for how to overcome cannabis-related barriers to banking and research, as well as measures that will ensure “successful cooperation between the hemp and cannabis industries including cross pollination prevention.”
- The members would also be required to make recommendations and study “efficient cannabis revenue collection and reporting, as well as efficient federal revenue frameworks”.
- A report would have to be submitted to Congress in 12 months.
Rep. Max Miller is also the first co-sponsor.
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Joyce, along with other bipartisan members of Congress announced the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting the States (STATES 2.0) Act on the very same day. The legislation will end the federal prohibition on marijuana for states who have already legalized it. It also provides a framework federally for products derived from cannabis.
The measure’s filing followed the release of a new survey from a GOP pollster affiliated with President Donald Trump that found that a majority of Republicans back a variety of cannabis reforms—and, notably, they’re even more supportive of allowing states to legalize marijuana without federal interference compared to the average voter.
STATES 2.0 Act also would legalize the interstate trade of cannabis, normalize Internal Revenue Service policies for the sector and envisage a federal framework to tax and regulate the industry.
Meanwhile, a White House spokesperson recently told CNN that the administration currently has “no action” planned on marijuana reform proposals, including those like rescheduling and industry banking access that Trump also endorsed on the campaign trail last year.
The White House has also said that marijuana rescheduling is not a part of Trump’s drug policy priorities for the first year of his second term—a disappointment for advocates and stakeholders who hoped to see him take speedier action.
Former officials with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) also recently said that, without proactive advocacy for marijuana rescheduling from Trump personally, the process could stall indefinitely.
Below is the PREPARE Act text:
New Hampshire Senate Blocks Marijuana Legalization Bills and Medical Cannabis Home-Cultivation.
Max Pixel is the photographer.
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